1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dialysis and dialyzer apparatus. It relates to a dialysis system including a dialyzer. This invention is particularly directed toward the use of dialysis in medical diagnostic activity, in which it is desired to separate from a sample molecules of less than a given predetermined size by having them dialyze through a membrane into a surrounding bath. The invention is particularly adapted to use in clinical medical laboratories in which factors of speed, accuracy, and costs are important.
2. Prior Art
Dialysis is a known technique, including its use in the field of medical diagnostics. Prior art apparatus is known. Some of this prior art apparatus is relatively expensive and large automatic machinery. Some of the prior expedients include the suspension of relatively large elongated tubes of membrane from one end in an agitated bath with the tubes free to move relatively to each other.
Another prior art expedient is a dialysis bag clamping system utilizing a magnetic stirrer and having the capability of providing only for a limited number of dialysis bags. Such a device is known as the Crowe-Englander dialyzer available from Hoefer Scientific Instruments, Inc.
Other prior art is exemplified in such U.S. Pat. Nos. as 3,672,509; 2,985,587; 3,788,471; 3,503,877; 3,783,127; 3,811,573; and 3,596,882.
The present invention has many advantages over what can be found in any example of the prior art. These advantages include lower costs and higher speed in its class of equipment. An advantage is easy adjustability to accommodate different quantities of samples to be analyzed. An advantage is that wetted bags can be mounted in the operative position before loading. This permits accurate loading and unloading without handling of the bags and possible contamination or loss of sample. Other advantages include prevention of distortion of results by inadvertent contacting of bags during the dialysis process, the ability to make interim checks on the process, and the ability to determine whether there has been any inadvertent loss by leakage during the process.
Another advantage is the increased temperature stability due to the organization of the present dialysis system. Another advantage is a much greater speed of the dialysis process due to the greater efficiency of membrane surface circulation and a higher ratio of membrane surface to specimen volume than was heretofore available. An advantage lies in the provision of the circulating function through extremely simple, reliable, and inexpensive means. Other advantages are discussed in the following specification and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.